Brian Clegg

* El caos y la complejidad explicados por el reconocido escritor de divulgación científica Brian Clegg. * Interesantes análisis y debates sobre la aleatoriedad predecible, la potencia de la probabilidad y el comportamiento de los pendulos, asi como consideraciones sobre el mercado de valores, la politica, las listas de exitos, los macrodatos y el tambaleante Puente del Milenio de Londres como ejemplos de sistemas caoticos. * Textos esclarecedores para conseguir una mejor comprension del caos. Las matematicas escolares son precisas y solo tratan de situaciones sencillas. La realidad es mucho mas compleja. Cuando se intenta abarcar y entender un sistema con muchos componentes interactivos significa tratar con dos factores: el caos y la complejidad. Si no comprendemos estos dos temas seremos incapaces de entender el mundo natural. Con el termino caos, se describe un sistema donde sus complejas interacciones hacen casi imposibles las predicciones a largo plazo; complejidad define sistemas interactivos complejos que poseen nuevas propiedades emergentes que los hacen ser algo mas que la suma de sus partes. Se explican estos fenomenos con discusiones de aleatoriedad predecible, la potencia de la probabilidad y el comportamiento de los pendulos. Se describe lo que Newton entendio mal de la gravedad, como la retroalimentacion evita que exploten las maquinas de vapor y por que el tiempo produce el caos. Ademas, se explica que el cerebro consta de sistemas autoorganizados, que la estructura de los copos de nieve son un ejemplo de emergencia y que la vida en si ha demostrado ser una propiedad emergente de un sistema complejo.

Built from the debris of exploding stars that floated through space for billions of years, home to a zoo of tiny aliens, and controlled by a brain with more possible connections than there are atoms in the universe, the human body is the most incredible thing in existence. In the sequel to his bestselling Inflight Science, Brian Clegg explores mitochondria, in-cell powerhouses which are thought to have once been separate creatures; how your eyes are quantum traps, consuming photons of light from the night sky that have travelled for millions of years; your many senses, which include the ability to detect warps in space and time, and why meeting an attractive person can turn you into a gibbering idiot. Read THE UNIVERSE INSIDE YOU and youll never look at yourself the same way again.

LONGLISTED FOR THE 2014 WINTON ROYAL SOCIETY PRIZE FOR SCIENCE BOOKS As troubling as we pattern-seeking humans may find it, modern science has repeatedly shown us that randomness is the underlying heartbeat of nature. In Dice World, acclaimed science writer Brian Clegg takes readers on an incredible trip around our random universe, uncovering the truths and lies behind probability and statistics, explaining how chaotic intervention is behind every great success in business, and demonstrating the possibilities quantum mechanics has given us for creating unbreakable ciphers and undergoing teleportation. He explores how the clockwork universe imagined by Newton, in which everything could be predicted given enough data, was disproved bit by bit, to be supplanted by chaos theory and quantum physics. Clegg reveals a world in which not only is accurate forecasting often impossible but probability is the only way for us to understand the fundamental nature of things. Forget the clockwork universe. Welcome to Dice World, a unique portrait of a startlingly complex cosmos, from the bizarre microscopic world of the quantum to the unfathomable mechanics of planetary movements, where very little is as it seems...

Why do your fingers go wrinkly in the bath? What kind of animal can have 21 limbs? Who would really win a fight between a T.Rex and Godzilla? Test your knowledge of all things scientific with the biggest, brightest and most mind-bending quiz book this side of the Big Bang. Featuring 100 brain-melting Q&As, with enlightening explanations provided throughout, this is the ultimate examination of what you know about space, chemistry, quantum physics, science fiction and much more.

Una obra que aborda las grandes ideas en las que se basa la vida tal como la conocemos, desde las ondas electromagnéticas que nos permiten conectar en un instante dos extremos opuestos de la Tierra hasta la gravedad, que nos mantiene firmes en el suelo. Cada tema se expone en solo 30 segundos, usando nada mas que dos paginas, 300 palabras y una imagen. Ilustrado con ingeniosos graficos, el libro se completa con biografias de algunos de los fisicos que transformaron para siempre el conocimiento cientifico. En un mundo donde la fisica es imprescindible para las actividades cotidianas y las novedades cuanticas se convierten en titulares de las noticias, es preciso conocer sus atomos y su antimateria, y aprender lo suficiente para poder hablar con propiedad sobre la dinamica de fluidos y estar seguro sobre el principio de incertidumbre. Aqui encontrara la manera mas rapida de ponerse al dia con la ciencia espacial? y con el resto. En la actualidad, la fisica abarca todo, desde lo extremadamente pequeño (como la naturaleza de las particulas subatomicas) a los mecanismos responsables de la formacion del universo. Aunque el objetivo de la fisica es explicar como funciona el mundo fisico, conduce tambien a importantisimos desarrollos practicos. Por ejemplo, las tecnologias que utilizan explicitamente la fisica cuantic...

The ultimate non-technical guide to the fast-developing world of quantum computing Computer technology has improved exponentially over the last 50 years. But the headroom for bigger and better electronic solutions is running out. Our best hope is to engage the power of quantum physics. Quantum algorithms had already been written long before hardware was built. These would enable, for example, a quantum computer to exponentially speed up an information search, or to crack the mathematical trick behind internet security. However, making a quantum computer is incredibly difficult. Despite hundreds of laboratories around the world working on them, we are only just seeing them come close to supremacy where they can outperform a traditional computer. In this approachable introduction, Brian Clegg explains algorithms and their quantum counterparts, explores the physical building blocks and quantum weirdness necessary to make a quantum computer, and uncovers the capabilities of the current generation of machines.

The breakthroughs that have had the most transformative practical impacts, from thermodynamics to the Internet. Physics informs our understanding of how the world works but more than that, key breakthroughs in physics have transformed everyday life. We journey back to ten separate days in history to understand how particular breakthroughs were achieved, meet the individuals responsible and see how each breakthrough has influenced our lives. It is a unique selection. Focusing on practical impact means there is no room for Stephen Hawkings work on black holes, or the discovery of the Higgs boson. Instead we have the relatively little-known Rudolf Clausius (thermodynamics) and Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (superconductivity), while Albert Einstein is included not for his theories of relativity but for the short paper that gave us E=mc2 (nuclear fission). Later chapters feature transistors, LEDs and the Internet.

Brian Clegg was always fascinated by Isaac Asimovs classic Foundation series of books, in which the future is predicted using sophisticated mathematical modelling of human psychology and behaviour. Only much later did he realise that Asimovs psychohistory had a real-world equivalent: game theory. Originating in the study of probabilistic gambling games that depend on a random source - the throw of a dice or the toss of a coin - game theory soon came to be applied to human interactions: essentially, what was the best strategy to win, whatever you were doing? Its mathematical techniques have been applied, with varying degrees of wisdom, to fields such as economics, evolution, and questions such as how to win a nuclear war. Clegg delves into game theorys colourful history and significant findings, and shows what we can all learn from this oft-misunderstood field of study.

Why did Uuq become Fl? Why is the sky blue? Why is the sky black? What is spaghettification? Theres a problem with the typical quiz. It always features far too much sport, 1980s pop and celebrity gossip and not nearly enough science. How Many Moons Does the Earth Have? is the ultimate solution. Test your knowledge to the limit with a sizzling collection of brain-stretching, science-based questions in two eight-round quizzes. Turn the page to get the answer immediately and as each answer page explores the subject in more depth, this the only quiz thats just as entertaining to read from beginning to end as it is to play competitively. Where was the Big Bang? What links the elephant Tusko and Timothy Leary? What is the significance of 6EQUJ5? Science explainer extraordinaire Brian Clegg tells all

Is the Brexit vote successful big data politics or the end of democracy? Why do airlines overbook, and why do banks get it wrong so often? How does big data enable Netflix to forecast a hit, CERN to find the Higgs boson and medics to discover if red wine really is good for you? And how are companies using big data to benefit from smart meters, use advertising that spies on you and develop the gig economy, where workers are managed by the whim of an algorithm? The volumes of data we now access can give unparalleled abilities to make predictions, respond to customer demand and solve problems. But Big Brothers shadow hovers over it. Though big data can set us free and enhance our lives, it has the potential to create an underclass and a totalitarian state. With big data ever-present, you cant afford to ignore it. Acclaimed science writer Brian Clegg - a habitual early adopter of new technology (and the owner of the second-ever copy of Windows in the UK) - brings big data to life.

En un momento en el que la mecánica cuántica de la electrónica es indispensable en la vida cotidiana y los nuevos descubrimientos cuánticos ocupan los titulares de los informativos, tendrá la ocasión de visitar universos multiples, viajar por la teoria de ondas y aprender lo suficiente para hablar con propiedad sobre el principio de incertidumbre y los misterios del entrelazamiento cuantico.Todo lo que hacemos y vemos tiene particulas cuanticas como base de la accion, aunque esas particulas sean muy diferentes de cualquier cosa que podamos experimentar directamente. Es la paradoja y el encanto de la mecanica o teoria cuantica que podra descubrir en esta obra.

In 2003, Russian physicists Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov found a way to produce graphene the thinnest substance in the world by using sticky tape to separate an atom-thick layer from a block of graphite. Their efforts would win the 2010 Nobel Prize for Physics, and now the applications of graphene and other two-dimensional substances form a worldwide industry. Graphene is far stronger than steel, a far better conductor than any metal, and able to act as a molecular sieve to purify water. Electronic components made from graphene are a fraction of the size of silicon microchips and can be both flexible and transparent, making it possible to build electronics into clothing, produce solar cells to fit any surface, or even create invisible temporary tattoos that monitor your health. Ultra-thin materials give us the next big step forward since the transistor revolutionised electronics. Get ready for the graphene revolution.

Infinity is a profoundly counter-intuitive and brain-twisting subject that has inspired some great thinkers and provoked and shocked others. The ancient Greeks were so horrified by the implications of an endless number that they drowned the man who gave away the secret. And a German mathematician was driven mad by the repercussions of his discovery of transfinite numbers. Brian Clegg and Oliver Pughs brilliant graphic tour of infinity features a cast of characters ranging from Archimedes and Pythagoras to al-Khwarizmi, Fibonacci, Galileo, Newton, Leibniz, Cantor, Venn, Godel and Mandelbrot, and shows how infinity has challenged the finest minds of science and mathematics. Prepare to enter a world of paradox.

An exploration of the transformative ways in which nature has inspired the technological advancement of humankind. Biomimetics literally means emulating biology - and in a broader sense the term covers technological advances where the original inspiration came from nature. The Earth is a vast laboratory where the mechanisms of natural selection have enabled evolutionary solutions to be developed to a wide range of problems. In this new title in the Hot Science series, science writer Brian Clegg looks at how humans have piggybacked on natural experimentation, redeploying a solution to create things that make our lives easier. He looks at how the hooks on burdock seeds inspired the creation of Velcro, how the stickiness of the feet of geckos and frogs has been used to create gripping surfaces, such as tyre treads, and how even the most basic optical enhancement in the form of spectacles is itself a form of biomimetics.

**Title of Most Fiendish Book goes to Conundrum: Crack the Ultimate Cipher Challenge by the ever-excellent science writer Brian Clegg. Daily Mail, Books of the Year** The ultimate trial of knowledge and cunning, Conundrum features 200 cryptic puzzles and ciphers. The solutions link throughout the book so you need to solve them all to get to the final round. With a focus on ciphers and codebreaking, Conundrum contains twenty sections, each built around a specific subject from music to literature, physics to politics. To take on Conundrum you need good general knowledge and the ability to think laterally. But if you need help, there are plenty of hints to point you in the right direction. Whether you attempt to crack it alone or work in a team, Conundrum will challenge you to the extreme.Can you take on Conundrum and win? Theres only one way to find out

Asked to name a great physicist, most people would mention Newton or Einstein, Feynman or Hawking. But ask a physicist and theres no doubt that James Clerk Maxwell will be near the top of the list. Maxwell, an unassuming Victorian Scotsman, explained how we perceive colour. He uncovered the way gases behave. And, most significantly, he transformed the way physics was undertaken in his explanation of the interaction of electricity and magnetism, revealing the nature of light and laying the groundwork for everything from Einsteins special relativity to modern electronics. Along the way, he set up one of the most enduring challenges in physics, one that has taxed the best minds ever since. Maxwells demon is a tiny but thoroughly disruptive thought experiment that suggests the second law of thermodynamics, the law that governs the flow of time itself, can be broken. This is the story of a groundbreaking scientist, a great contributor to our understanding of the way the world works, and his duplicitous demon.

Weaving together the great ideas of science, The Reality Frame takes us on a thrilling journey from empty space all the way to the human mind. Acclaimed science writer Brian Clegg builds up reality piece by piece, from space, to time, to matter, movement, the fundamental forces, life, and the massive transformation that life itself has wrought on the natural world. He reveals that underlying it all is not, as we might believe, a system of immovable absolutes, but the ever-shifting, amorphous world of relativity. From religion to philosophy, humanity has traditionally sought out absolutes to explain the world around us, but as science has developed, relativity has swept away many of these certainties, leaving only a handful of unchangeable essentials such as absolute zero, nothingness, light leading to better science and a new understanding of the essence of being human. This is an Ascent of Man for the 21st century, the gripping story of modern science that will fill you with wonder and give you a new insight into our place in the universe.

Strap in and enjoy the ride!JOHN GRIBBINA window seat on a flight to our galaxys sites of outstanding beautyMARCUS CHOWN, AUTHOR OF THE ONE THING YOU NEED TO KNOWA refreshing new look at our own corner of spaceHENRY GEE, WINNER OF THE 2022 ROYAL SOCIETY TRIVEDI SCIENCE BOOK PRIZEBuckle up for the ride of a lifetimePHILIP BALL, AUTHOR OF THE BOOK OF MINDS AND BEYOND WEIRD Take a voyage into space to explore the wonders of the galaxy and beyond. With award-winning science writer Brian Clegg as your deep space guide, step on board the starship Endurance and marvel at the fascinating sights of deepest, darkest space. Although our vessel is fictional, the phenomena you will visit, from the vast nebulae that are birthplaces of stars to stellar explosions in vast supernovas, creating the elements necessary for life - or from the planets of other solar systems to the unbelievably supermassive black hole at the heart of the Milky Way - all reflect the best picture current science has to offer. Accompanying Interstellar Tours is an online gallery with over fifty images and videos in full colour, each directly accessible from the page using QR codes. It may never be possible to undertake a voyage through the stars for real. But with Interstellar Tours, you can enjoy the ultimate cruise across the Milky Way.

On 14 September 2015, after 50 years of searching, gravitational waves were detected for the first time and astronomy changed for ever. Until then, investigation of the universe had depended on electromagnetic radiation: visible light, radio, X-rays and the rest. But gravitational waves ripples in the fabric of space and time are unrelenting, passing through barriers that stop light dead. At the two 4-kilometre long LIGO observatories in the US, scientists developed incredibly sensitive detectors, capable of spotting a movement 100 times smaller than the nucleus of an atom. In 2015 they spotted the ripples produced by two black holes spiralling into each other, setting spacetime quivering. This was the first time black holes had ever been directly detected and it promises far more for the future of astronomy. Brian Clegg presents a compelling story of human technical endeavour and a new, powerful path to understand the workings of the universe.